lose the thread

Idioms  

1. Cease to follow the sense of what is said. For example, It was such a long story that I soon lost the thread. This expression uses thread in the sense of “something that connects the various points of a narrative.” [Mid-1900s]

---

Example Sentences

This is the moment where so many Thanksgiving tables lose the thread.

From Salon • Nov. 25, 2025

The reporters by then were beginning to lose the thread.

From Washington Post • Jan. 6, 2023

The problem is if they dump the puck, lose a battle or lose the thread of the play, as they often have, the offense doesn’t create much.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 7, 2022

I had to jump around quite a bit, and I imagine that people less familiar with the science could easily lose the thread.

From New York Times • Apr. 18, 2021

Several times I thought I’d lose the thread of the story, and only sheer effort kept it going.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia

Related Words

• babble
• digress
• meander
• wander